Automobile running-gear.



S. R. BAILEY. AUTOMOBILE RUNNING GEAR. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 22, 1911.

1,095,137, v Patented A r.28,1914. I

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S. R. BAILEY.

AUTOMOBILE RUNNING GEAR.

' APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 22, 1911. 1,095, 1 37, Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

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Witnesses:

UN STATES OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Batent.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

Application flled September 22, 1911. Serial No. 650,766. f

I '0 all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL R. BAILEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Amesbury, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Automobile Running-Gear, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to certain-improvements in the running gear of a motor vehicle, or the means for supporting the body on the axles.

It has usually been customary, in vehicles of this character, to arrange a pair of side springs, both at the front and the rear of the body, so that it is supported at four points. With this arrangement, when one of the frontwheels passes over an obstruction, or raised portion of the street, which tends to lift it higher than the 0 posite wheel, the body is sometimes tippe to a dangerous extent, while ordinary inequalities which raise one wheel higher than the other will cause the body to be repeatedly raised and lowered'at dlfl'erent corners, so as to cause a. twisting, or unequal lifting strain to be placed on the body.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and durable construction for so supportin axis, t at when it asses over mequalitles, or obstructions whic act to raise one wheel higher than the other, a corresponding tipping, or lifting of the body w1ll not be caused. I accomplish this object by the means shown in the accompanying drawmg, in which, i

Figure 1 is a plan view of the runmng gear of an automobile provided with my 1nvention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33' of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail view similar to Fig. 3, showing the parts in different position. Fig. 5 is a detail view on an enlarged scale taken at the line 49-4 of Fi 3. \F i 6 is a detail view of one of the bal and soc et joints.

In the drawing a indicates the body, b the rear axle on which a pair of side springs c are mounted, and connected to the body at.

each side thereof, as is customary in motor vehicles.

The front axle d is arran ed at a short distance in front ofthe b0 y, and a leaf spring 6 is mounted on the up or side thereof, and has a pivotal connection f with the axle at' one end, and a link connection g the body of an automobile on its placed thereon if the bodfy therewith at the other end, to permit depression of the spring.

According to my invention I mount a base plate It on the upper side of spring 6 said plate havln an integrally connected ball 11 pro ec t1ng rom the upper side thereof, ar-

shown.

A base socket piece is mounted onv the under side of a forwar ly projecting flange, or bracket a on the front end of the body, said socket plece having a ball-receiving socket in its under side held, the co'acting parts being constructed to permlt universal tipping and swinging movement of the the body;

l A pair of horizontall or links m are arranged v and parallel to the bod and are connected thereto,at their rear ends, by ball and socket omts 0. The front ends of said rods m are connected to the front axle d, adjacent the outer ends thereof, by similar ball and socket ]01IltS p, sald JOIIItS permitting universal movement of the links with the parts to which the are connected, as may be required, T of brace rods is well known in the art.

A safety rod 9 is connected at its upper end to the socket therefrom, in front of the spring 6 and axle d, and rearwardly therebeneath, and is connected at its lower end to the body.

The operation of the above described construction is as follows :-In case one of the front wheels is lifted, while the'other three remain on a level, the axle d will be correspondingly tilted. The ball and socket connection i, 7', between the spring e and the body will permit a corresponding tilting of said spring without any tendency, within reasonable limits, to cause a corresponding tipping of the body, the bod being held in the horizontal position by the rear wheels, and being lifted, to an extent, as indicated in the dotted position of Fig. 2. Ihis not only prevents the tilting of the body, but it also prevents the placing of a twisting strain upon the body, such as would be were su ported at two points, both at the ront and tlie rear. It will be further apparent that with the latter construction, that, in case one wheel is lifted much hi her than the others, either dispose d brace rods at opposite sides of,

ranged at the middle of the spring 6, as

in-which the ball 21 is is construct-ion and arrangement the body must e twisted, or be actually spring 6 with relation to i j and extends downwardly lifted so that the opposite wheel is raised partly or wholly from the ground. A considerable amount of energy is thus wasted in raising the body which is not wasted when my improved construction above described is employed.

As the axle d is lifted at one end, as shown in the dotted position of Fig. 2, the link m at the side which is lifted will be swung upwardly at its front end. As both links are normally held in a horizontal position, this action will cause the axle d to be swung rearward, or toward the body, about the ball 11 as a center, as shown in Fig. 4, universal movement of the axle 03 being permitted by said ball point z', j. As the axled is tilted, one link m will be swung away from the bodyjand the other toward it, movement of the links in two directions being permitted by the universal joints 0 and p, which connect the links with the body and axle.

In case either or both of the rods mshould break or become disconnected from the body the safety rod 9 will hold the axle d and spring e from moving very far out of position, sothat no serious accident will occur.

I claim An automobilebody having an axle extending from side to side thereof, a ball-andsocket joint between said body and the upper side of the axle at the middle thereof, permitting universal swinging movement of the axle, rods pivotally connected to the ends normally held in an approximately horizontal position and longitudinally unyielding to hold the axle from swinging horizontally about a vertical axis and to permit vertical swinging and simultaneous rearward or forward movement of the axle, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

, SAMUELR. BAILEY. Witnesses:v

L. H. HARBIMAN,

H. B. DAVIS.

t of the axle and the opposite sides of the body, 

